Hi everyone,

I started piano in july, and it's been fucking awful. Just kidding - well, slightly.

Piano's pretty damn fun, but learning is difficult. I never had any sort of musical knowledge, and my taste in music stops at anything that isn't classical. Saying that, I've been learning to not only play piano, but study music theory and sheet reading.

However, I don't think I'm learning at an acceptable rate. I started in July, and yet I'm still on pieces such as Beethoven's 1st movement in Moonlight Sonata and Chopin's prelude in e minor. Sheet reading isn't exactly my strong suit either, and I thought I'd ask for help.

As a beginner, what skills should I be focusing on? Also, what is the best way to learn sheet reading? If possible, are there certain pieces you believe would help

Thanks.

I rarely learn a piece by reading its sheet. Usually I'll just find a Synthesia video on Youtube and learn from there. It works for me, well at least for the simpler one.

Reading music jus takes practice, learn it as you go, I'd say.

Your pace is perfectly fine. I usually spend a whole year with 1 piece - so not making any progress in your repertoire for half a year is definitely fine.

Before practicing, do your gammes, arpèges, to warm up, and train general technical skills, perhaps 5-ten minutes, each time.

What concerns specific technical difficulties, 3-2 beats, practice for the left hand, I think it's fine to learn them when they appear

Lol, you and I have a lot in common. My musical taste almost stops at anything that isn't classic but I do keep in the know about newer styles and songs.

I started playing piano around 10 years of age, taught myself through playing my favorite game music by ear. The first song I learned to play was Super Mario 64's Dire Dire Docks and once you learn steps, chords, and progressions you're pretty much golden as a beginner. But I'm not saying I know a ton about piano either, I can't read sheet music and I don't record sheet music. And you know what, that's okay. If you really care about creating good music that's okay.

You know that guy who composed Sonic Mania? Tee Lopes? He doesn't read sheet music, doesn't record sheet music, he plays everything by ear and uses a program called FL studio. I used to think that only playing and creating music by ear was unacceptable but seeing that someone like Tee can make a killer soundtrack like Mania, self taught, it's amazing.

Playing music of any kind should be a natural experience and whatever you feel should easily translate into every key you press or string you strum.

But I digress, you want sheet music...I use muse score a lot just to get a feel for the music. Try this one, Vapor Trail by Yumi Matsutoya/Arai. One of my favorites, very simple and beautiful melody.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3v6EmMI01xA

https://musescore.com/user/1619161/scores/4135011

For beginners, get in the habit of listening and watching at the same time, it REALLY helps. That's what I did when taking piano classes in junior high.

Oh, oh, also make sure you study Air on G String!

https://musescore.com/user/18622001/scores/3706386

Slower time signatures are easier to learn and once you get tired of them, speeding up and playing more involved pieces gets easier. But the older you get the harder it is to learn something, don't expect to learn anything so fast, take you time!!!

Always love to see people interested in classical music interpretation :) Don't think there's may secrets to this, but hope you the best !

Thanks to everyone who responded.

Seems I'm on the right path, but it definitely does feel awful being so behind. The question I have is about sheet music - do you simply get used to it as you advance in piano? I feel like I hit a wall whenever I hit a piece above my level

Are you learning from a teacher or are you teaching yourself? If I understand your post correctly, you're trying to learn how to play a musical instrument without any prior musical knowledge whatsoever which, in my opinion, is damn near impossible. I think you need a teacher to learn the basics first, or at the very least, go on YouTube or something to see if you can get some free lessons.


" I've been learning to not only play piano, but study music theory and sheet reading."

The three go hand in hand, and you really need some basic knowledge if you're serious. I certainly can't speak for everyone and I know everyone is different, but when I was first learning it was extremely difficult WITH a teacher.
If you're going into it blind and trying to "guess" at what's what, or trying to wing it, it's going to be difficult. I can't even imagine doing that myself.

Yep, doing it alone. Started without even knowing what a chord or octave was lol

Anyway, a lot of people have said the same thing. I'm thankful enough to be able to play pieces such as Chopin's Prelude in E minor and others. I also have bought a few books to learn and memorize the different chords, along with music theory and info in general.

In a few months I'll probably get a teacher. For now, I want to see how far I can go alone with no one helping

So much this. I have no problem reading music but having to deal with both treble and bass clef is insanely annoying for someone like me who only had to deal with treble while playing trumpet for eons. Piano/Keyboard with synth is way faster to learn in my experience. Do you miss out on key signature, time, etc, sure but if you understand a piece by ear none of that matters as all of your artistry is merely mimicry or subtle nuances from the original. 

If there is an insanely difficult piece, it might be superior to deal with the actual sheet music but I haven't encountered anything that I would have preferred the sheet for yet (in fairness I'm a novice anyway).